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There’s nothing new about the presence of weight stigma, diet culture, and body image in our media environment. Recently, it felt like body positivity and size inclusivity were becoming the new norm. But the rise of GLP-1 drugs is changing things again – not just in people’s options for losing and managing weight, but in the cultural conversation about our bodies.
In this episode, Jena and Michelle look at the conversation around GLP-1s through a media literacy lens. They unpack pharmaceutical advertising, celebrity endorsements, bias in healthcare, science journalism, and all those “What I Eat in a Day” videos on social media. We’re all getting a ton of mixed messages, and it’s a lot to try to make sense of!
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Find us online!
Read our writing about weight stigma in media:
Check out our recs:
Dr. Joshua Wolrich on Instagram
The Full Plate Podcast #150: Medical care without weight stigma with Dr. Mara Gordon, 2025.
“Freedom” from fatness: Why GLP-1s go after Black bodies, Code Switch, 2026.
Learn more about Nathan Fielder’s new film, You Can See Everything:
Elizabeth Holmes, convicted of fraud, is more fascinating than ever, KQED, 2022.
Who is Elizabeth Holmes? What is “You Can See Everything” about?, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 2026.
Learn more about Harry Styles’ and others’ musical residencies:
Bad Bunny to Celine Dion to Backstreet Boys: Musical residencies are going global – boating tourism, making millions and healing fans, The Hollywood Reporter, 2026.
How residencies took over the music industry, The New York Times, 2026.
The concert trend forcing fans to pay way more, Vox, 2026.The Hollywood Reporter, 2026.
Learn more about GLP-1 and pharmaceutical advertising:
Drug ads face new scrutiny at FDA and on Hill, Axios, 2026.
French regulators fine Novo, Lilly over GLP-1 campaigns, Medscape, 2026.
How Serena Williams saved her own life, Elle, 2022.
Serena Williams and Ro, Truth in Advertising, 2026.
With TV drug ads, what you see is not necessarily what you get, Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research, 2024.
Audio clip sources:
Wegovy Super Bowl LX ad “A New Way” delivers humor and honest conversations, FanReviews (DailyMotion), 2026.
Serena Williams and Oprah on deciding to take GLP-1 medications, Oprah (YouTube), 2026.
GLP-1s are a lot weirder than anyone thought, The Ezra Klein Show (YouTube), 2026.
The dangers of diet drugs: Behind the GLP-1 weight-loss hype with Ragen Chastain, Rethinking Wellness, 2024.
Lori (TikTok), 2025.
Sonya Sed (TikTok), 2026.
Nilani D (TikTok), 2026.
Derek (TikTok), 2026.
Dear Media (TikTok), 2026.
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About Did You See? with Jena and Michelle
Did you see that? Whether it’s in the news or pop culture, in print or online, we are living in a media overload. It’s a lot to process!
Did You See? is for anyone looking for space to pause and work through the media moments shaping how we see and understand the world.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. ◾
